Reason Says
by OrangeRose14
Summary: Sequel to and then there was hope.
1. Comfortably Numb

**A/N: I finally did it!!! Sequel to And Then There Was Hope!!1**

Chapter One

Once, dad stuck me in a tree.

I asked him to, but then I sort of got left. You see, he watched me for a while as I swung happily on the tree's sturdy branches. He stood under me, making sure I wouldn't fall, and then stepped back and sat on the bench in the park. After a few minutes he fainted I started to cry, and a woman that was there called for an ambulance and they took him in it. But no one got me down. About an hour later my mom came looking for us, found me, and brought me home.

I think I was six then. He ended up okay, but now well, let's just say no one really knows how he is. He keeps getting sick. It's crazy. He'll be fine one minute and the next he's on the ground. It scares me. He's always been my rock.

My mom tries to hide it; pretend that it's not happening. She's one of my best friends and we tell each other everything, but she can't accept this. She won't admit it to me, Joanne, Maureen, even Angel.

Dad's in the hospital again, and it looks pretty bad. I was at the hospital with everyone else, but I just needed to be alone so I came here. Now I just sit here taking in the cold October air as my hair blows in the wind. I straddle the branch and lean back. I close my eyes, spread out my arms, and wait for someone to come get me.

**A/N: Sorry this is so short. I don't have a lot of time lately and I kinda wanted to leave the first chappie at that. Please review!!!!!!!!**


	2. Really Bad Movies

Chapter Two

"I thought I'd find you here," Mark says as he stands at the base of the tree. When I don't respond he says, "Everything will be okay,"

"Oh come on you actually expect that to work? I'm fucking 16 years old and it's the same story every time."

"Actually no."

"What?"

"No I didn't think it would work," he says. He starts to climb up the tree and to my surprise does it fairly quickly.

"So how is he really?" I ask once he sits down on a branch.

"Honestly? I don't know."

"Of course you don't."

"Well, maybe if we go back to the hospital we'd be able to find out. What do you think?" he asks. Of course, he didn't really want my opinion that was just Mark. Sort of a nice way of saying Hope, get your ass out of the tree and go to the damn hospital.

I nod and grab the branch above me. I start to climb down and he follows.

I hesitate as I put my hand on the doorknob, but Collins puts his hand on my shoulder reassuringly and I open the door. Mom's head is in her hands. I stand there for a second and watch her, but she notices me hovering there and wipes at her eyes. I walk in, sit in the chair next to her, and she puts her arm around me as we sit there in silence. I rest my head on her shoulder and allow myself to cry as she moves her hand through my brown curls.

"Mom," I finally say. I take my head off her shoulder and shift in my chair so I'm facing her.

"What is caramelo? (sweetie)"

"What happened?" Mom opens her mouth to speak, but she is interrupted.

"Hey," Dad says looking at us. "My two favorite girls."

"Oh Roger," mom says quietly as she stands up and kisses him on the cheek. When I don't say anything he looks at me and gives me a small, unsure smile. "Hope," he starts to say, but the doctor walks in and he stops.

"Okay, Mr. Davis," he says staring at his clipboard. I hate the way doctors do that, flip through papers on clipboards, their so nonchalant about everything. "You're going to be fine. You merely have high blood pressure because your AZT was changed but, we're going to keep you here for a few days just to be sure."

"Okay, uh thanks," Dad says. He seems in a daze.

Mom sighs as she flips through the mail on the table. We just made it back from the hospital and it's late. Mark takes his scarf off and goes into his room while I collapse on the old, but comfortable, couch.

"I hate paying bills," Mom mutters. She throws three envelopes on the ground and then sits on the couch with me.

"Mom are you not paying the bills?" I ask raising one eyebrow sarcastically.

"Of course I am," She responds. Then adds,"Eventually. I'm just going to simply ignore them for a while."

"Okay, you do that. I'm going to go to sleep," I say getting up and opening my bedroom door.

"Hey Hope," Mom says stopping me.

"Yeah?"

"Do you want to maybe order a pizza?" I squeal excitedly and jump back onto the couch.

"Can we watch really bad movies too?"

"It'd be a crime if we didn't!"

"So," I say after about a minute passes. "Who wants to order the pizza?"

"Nose goes!" Mom yells putting her finger on her nose.

"Mom!"

"Nose goes!" she says staring me down.

"Fine," I say. "What do you want on it?"

"Um, hold on. Hey Mark," she yells. "Hope and I are gonna order pizza and watch really bad movies you wanna join us?"

"I think I'll pass," Mark says sticking his head out of his bedroom.

"Just get everything," she says.

**A/N: Love? Hate?**


	3. You Never Know

Chapter Three

I giggle as my boyfriend grabs my hands and pulls me towards him. He wraps both arms around my waist and touches his forehead to mine.

"Hey," he says smiling.

"Hello," I reply. He leans in and kisses me lightly on the lips. He was about to kiss me again but the bell rings. I pull away.

"Wait," he says as I pick up my stuff and start to walk to class.

"What?"

"You wanna hang out after school?"

"I can't, I'm leaving early,"

"Why?"

"Chad come on, we're already late and I have to go to the third floor."

"Fine," he says. "I'll call you later.

It's been two weeks since dad came home from the hospital and he's doing fine. The other day mom stayed home from work just to be with him. When I got home from school she was so much happier and relaxed. I think she just needed to prove to herself that he's okay.

When I get to my history class my teacher, Mr. Minx, gives me the death stare for being 15 minutes late. I sit in the back next to my friend Kara and try to pay attention to him drone on about something I'm sure I'll never use in life.

Mom meets me outside of school and we walk to the subway station even though it's October and windy.

"Is Dad coming?" I ask even though I'm pretty sure I know the answer.

"No sorry chica," she says giving me a sympathetic look. "I know you want him there."

"It's okay," I say staring at my feet. "I understand."

Walking through life knowing that you might be HIV positive is hard, but I could always forget about it. Mom and Dad have been trying to get me to go get tested for years, but I never wanted to. I think it's because I just wanted to live life as a normal teenager for a while, and they never forced me to go. Last week I was talking to Dad he of course, brought it up, but this time I gave in.

The doctor comes in with a needle. He says hello, sprays something on my arm, and then sticks the needle in. I watch as the tube attached to it fills up with my crimson colored blood. When he's done he says they'll call with the results in about two weeks, gets his things, and leaves.

I'm sitting on the window seat doing homework when the phone rings. No one else is home but I don't make a move to answer it. The answering machine picks it up I plan on paying no attention to the person leaving a message, but their greeting catches my attention. It's the doctor they got the test results back. Positive.

I set my homework down on the window seat and go out on to the fire escape. I put my arms on the railing and look down at the city. There are so many lights and sounds. I guess living here, you never know what to expect.

**AN/ hides don't hate me!**


	4. No Other Way

Chapter Four

"Hope?" Mom says when she, Dad, and Mark walk in with, Angel, Collins, Mo, and Joanne trailing behind them. I don't answer. Just close my eyes and pretend not to notice.

"She's outside," Maureen says motioning to the window. Mark walks past the phone and sees the red light flashing on the answering machine.

"And apparently not very talkative," he says as he presses the button to listen to the message I know none of them are expecting. I wonder if they realize I can hear every word they're saying. At this point, Mom, Angel, and Collins have all sat down on the couch, Dad is back in his and Moms bedroom putting things they bought away, Mark is by the phone, and Maureen is raiding the fridge while Joanne tries to get her to come sit down.

"Maureen, come here," Joanne says. "We have food at home you know."

"I'm starving," Maureen replies. "And you guys have nothing," she says looking at Mom who only shrugs. While Maureen is talking they miss the beginning of the message but they know who it is when they hear him say test results.

"Roger, come here!" Mom yells.

"What?" Dad says when he walks out of the room.

"Shhh," Everyone says.

"I'm sorry to tell you that the results came back positive." Mom puts her hand brings her hand to her mouth and tries not to cry. Angel puts her hand on Mom's shoulder to comfort her, but she pulls away.

"Meems," Dad says walking over to her, but mom pushes past him and walks into their bedroom. Dad stands for a second trying to figure out which way to go.

"Talk to your daughter," Angel says. "I'll go talk to Mimi." Dad nods and walks out onto the fire escape. I turn around and pretend I haven't been watching them.

"She's crying isn't she?" I ask. Dad walks over and sits down next to me.

"Hope," he says. "Your mother and I made the choice to keep you knowing that it could affect you and the way you live, but we've always hoped it wouldn't come to that. She's just upset." I turn and look at him. A few tears run down my cheeks and he lifts his hands up and wipes them off with his calloused thumbs.

"I can't help feeling that I failed you guys," I say.

"You know this isn't your fault Hope."

"But that's the thing. Isn't that what I'm supposed to be? Your hope?"

"You always will be. No matter what."

"Dad, I'm scared."

"I know," he says. He puts his arm around me and kisses me on the cheek. "I know."

After a few minutes of sitting there Dad tries to get me to come inside.

"Come on," he says. "Let's go inside."

"Can we not go inside? Ever."

"Hope come on it's freezing," he says standing up.

"But everyone's in there and they all know."

"Yes everyone is in there which means it will be very warm, and may I point out that half of the people in said room know how you're feeling right now."

"Hope, I'm cold," He says rubbing his arms.

"Fine," I say standing up.

When we get inside everyone looks at me. I notice that Mom is back on the couch again. When she sees me she comes and hugs me and I can't help but cry.


	5. Love

**A/N: Okay so I know it's taken me like a million years to start updating all my fics and I'm sooo sorry! School has taken over my life. But luckily it will be over next friday so you can expect more updates soon!**

Chapter Five

"Pass the popcorn," Mom says. We're sitting in the loft watching Moulin Rouge.

"Oh my god I love this part!" Maureen says as we watch Satine roll around the floor while Christian recites poetry. Then there's a knock on the door.

"Not it," Maureen says. I look at Mom. She shrugs and says,

"I'm holding the popcorn."

"Thanks guys," I say. I get up and walk across the floor. When I slide the door open I see Chad standing there.

"So what, you forgot?" he asks angrily. "Or did you just decide to bail on this date too?

"Hey Mo let's got outside," Mom says, and the two of them stand and leave.

"Chad come on," I say. I still haven't told him I'm HIV positive. I guess avoiding him seemed like the best thing.

"No you come on, I mean I didn't think you'd actually skip out on our anniversary dinner."

"I'm sorry," I say. "I just, I can't do this anymore." He stares at me with a hurt look on his face.

"No," he says. "This isn't like you what's wrong?"

"Nothing, just leave," I say turning my back on him, but he doesn't. "Please, just go," I say trying not to cry. "Why won't you just go?"

"Because I love you." I close my eyes and try to pretend this isn't real.

"No, no you don't. Just go please." I beg, finally turning to face him.

"Yes I do," he says putting his arms around my waist. I push him away.

"But why?"

"Because," he says tucking a piece of hair behind my ear. "When you smile, everyone around you smiles. And when I'm with you, I never want leave."

I back away from him. I can't deal with this. I want so desperately to tell him that I love him too, but I can't. Things are different now.

"Please tell me what's wrong," he says again.

"Chad I-"


End file.
